U.S. Retail Sales Strong in November

RetailSails submits:Improving consumer confidence and aggressive discounting by retailers led to a strong start to the holiday season. The Commerce Department reported this morning that its advanced estimates of U.S. retail and food services sales for November rose an adjusted 0.8% from the prior month to $378.7 billion, following a 1.7% rise in October, while sales increased 9.2% (unadjusted) compared to the year-ago period. This is the 13th straight year-over-year gain after 15 consecutive months of declines, which was the longest such streak on record. Total sales excluding autos were up 7.9% from last year, while total sales less autos and gas stations showed a 7.7% year-on-year increase. Retail gains have been impressive for most of 2010, with year-to-date sales 6.5% higher than last year. However, nominal sales have still yet to return to peak levels, as total monthly sales were still down 0.3% from November 2007, and year-to-date sales are down 1.6% and 1.5% from 2008 and 2007, respectively.Complete Story »

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RetailSails submits:Retail sales rose in March for the ninth consecutive month at U.S. retailers, as rising incomes and an improving employment market have so far offset the effects of rising costs for food and fuel.

RetailSails submits:The severe weather across much of the country took a bite out of retail sales in January, as promotional activity and gift card redemptions were not enough to offset the effects of winter storms, limited winter merchandise stocks, and consumers who seem to be mired in a post-Holiday hangover.

RetailSails submits:Spurred on by a late Easter, shoppers continued to spend in April as retail sales rose for the 10th consecutive month. However, the gain was the smallest since last July, and most segments other than gas stations and grocery stores saw business fall from March levels.

RetailSails submits:Thursday morning, the U.S. Department of Commerce reported that Advance Estimates of U.S. Retail and Food Services sales for December fell 0.3% from the prior month to $353.0 Billion, while sales increased 5.4% compared to the year-ago period. This is the second straight year-over-year gain after 14 consecutive months of declines, the longest such streak on record.

U.S. retail sales increased in March by the most since September 2012 as Americans bought more cars, clothing and garden supplies, helping the economy recover from a weather-depressed start to the year.
The 1.1% advance exceeded the median projection in a Bloomberg survey and followed a 0.7% gain in February that was bigger than previously reported, Commerce Department figures showed today in Washington. The median forecast of 78 economists called for a 0.9% increase. Sales excluding receipts at gas stations were the strongest in four years.

RetailSails submits:The U.S. Department of Commerce released January retail sales this morning, reporting that sales rose 0.5% from December and 4.7% year-on-year (adjusted). Analysts and pundits alike are cheering the “better-than-expected” performance, along with the slight upward revisions to November and December results.

ETFs
Here's how consumer ETF performed yesterday:
XLY Consumer Discretionary SPDR: +0.70%
XLP Consumer Staples SPDR: +0.77%
Watch out for the Fed’s announcement on tapering today, which will be at 2:00 pm EST. Investors will likely react to any surprising moves by the Fed on its tapering program.

U.S. retail sales grow most in 5 months, signalling strengthening economy
WASHINGTON — U.S. retail sales rose solidly in November as Americans bought automobiles and a range of other goods, adding to signs of a strengthening economy that could draw the Federal Reserve closer to reducing the pace of monetary stimulus.
The Commerce Department said on Thursday retail sales increased 0.7% last month after rising by a revised 0.6% in October. November’s retail sales increase was the largest in five months.